


'Forever Young'

by Greensilver



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 08:05:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8136607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greensilver/pseuds/Greensilver
Summary: Harry is ultra busy at the Ministry of Magic, but he is also trying to hold on to his marriage to Ginny. Hermione makes some surprising decisions. Harry is surprised to find another woman attractive. Albus Severus, Scorpius and James Potter (Jr) get up to no good.***Cursed Child Spoilers***





	

Harry Potter woke up not to the sound of a song in his head, but to the silent sound of Ginny’s words: her previous words that what Albus Severus needed was specific love, how Harry had been willing to save the world, but sometimes love needs to be specific.

Harry glanced to his left. Ginny was still asleep. Shaking the thought off, he went to work.

He had been spending more and more time at work these days. Under the direction of the Minister of Magic, he had been reviewing how magical law is enforced, and whether the enforcement measures were fair. Harry dedicated himself to his work with a rigour and passion that reminded him of the days of his youth when he was still young.

Yet as the weeks and months passed by, he and Ginny were arguing more and more. Ginny kept complaining that he cared more about work than he cared about her. Harry protested and said that was not true, but then in the middle of the night, he dug deep into his soul and found out that it was true.  
***  
Harry welcomed the distraction of being invited to McGonagal’s office. She wanted to meet with him to discuss how the laws on under age wizardry were to be enforced in the holidays. When the meeting finished, McGonagal had to rush off to some other meeting, leaving Harry in the office.

Harry was about to pick up his bag and leave, but before doing so, he thought he would say goodbye to two of his favourite portraits.

Yet Albus Dumbledore was asleep, or pretending to be, but just in case, Harry thought he had better not disturb him. Severus Snape’s eyes were wide open.

‘Bye, Professor,’ Harry said.

‘Bye Harry Potter,’ Snape said.

‘Wait, sir, I have a question.’

‘Go ahead,’ Snape said.

‘Can you tell me how not to make the same mistakes you did? When, you know, you lost my mother’s love?’

‘Having problems in your marriage, Potter?’ Snape asked shrewdly.

‘Well yes. But no. Well yes.’ Harry then explained that Ginny had become much of a homebody when she was not working. Which was why he loved her. Ginny had reminded him of Mrs Weasely, how kind and loving and caring she was. But she was trying to keep him from his work and demanding that he spend more time with her.

‘Really?’ Snape taunted icily. ‘Your mother was very dedicated to her work you know. And your father too.’

At this, Harry raised an eyebrow.

‘Well, I’m dead,’ the portrait of Snape said. ‘You think after all this time I would keep a grudge against James? Anyway, back to what I was trying to tell you, bottom line is –’

‘Bottom line? Where did that phrase come from?’ Harry asked. It felt weird being able to joke with his former professor who had been so serious when he taught him.

‘Minerva picked it up from the Muggle Studies teacher. It’s used a lot in the Muggle business world apparently. Bottom line is, if you truly love someone, the person you love should be willing to let you spread your love to the world. Lily was a kind person. She saw the best in people and even ended up with that arrogant toerag James. But looking at things retrospectively, James ended up being a decent guy too. Your parents were both very good people dedicated to their cause. Now you are working for your cause … if you call Ministry bureaucracy a cause. Why is Ginny not supporting you? But you love her. I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did. I used to think it was so simple to classify my past actions into right and wrong, but that does not mean I understand, or know how to apply my understanding to your situation.’

‘Well thanks, Professor Snape,’ Harry said.  
***  
The rows went on and on. Sometimes Harry and Ginny argued over nothing. Meanwhile Albus Severus was excelling in the majority of his classes at Hogwarts in his fifth year. This was because having overheard Harry and Ginny’s rows, he made every effort to avoid similar arguments with his friend, Scorpius. With his friend Scorpius by his side, he happily did his homework (without putting it off) and without complaint.

Still close to his old school friends, Harry met up with Ron in Diagon Alley.

‘Sorry I take Ginny’s side,’ Ron said bluntly.

As the days wore on, Harry and Ginny came to discussing the possibility of divorce. Ron avoided him more and more. One Friday evening, after the Weasleys Wizard Wheezes shut, Harry approached Ron rather confrontationally.

‘Who are you to call at this time of night?’ Ron said.

‘We, me, you and Hermione used to visit each other at all hours. After we finished Hogwarts we were still inseparable. And just a few months ago we were still close when we gathered together because of Albus and Scorpius’ Time Turning … activities…’

‘Things have changed, old friend,’ Ron said bluntly, but without bitterness.

‘But should they change?’ Harry said.

‘Look, mate,’ Ron said. ‘I have things to be getting on with. Bottom lines to worry about. Neville Longbottom has things to be getting on with. I heard Luna Lovegood got a promotion; she now has things to be getting on with.’

‘I hear what you are saying …’ Harry said weakly.

‘… but you are not listening and you don’t understand,’ Ron said. ‘Ginny is my sister. Never did I think I would have to choose between my best mate and my sister. But if you hurt my sister …’

Harry walked away. Albus Severus had been adamant on educating Harry on the glory of Salazar Slytherin during the Christmas holidays. Harry had remembered Albus saying that Salazar was shrewd and knew when to run away from his problems, such as when he left Hogwarts after disagreeing with the other founders. Well, maybe it was time for Harry to walk away and run away too. He would sleep on it. But could Ron really blame him? Hogwarts had been his home. Surely he was allowed to be sentimental about his old school friends? It was not as if he was holding on to his past without purpose. He still lived in the present, and dedicated himself to his present life at the Ministry.  
***  
Hermione had successfully passed reforms that improved the welfare of house-elves. They were still not allowed to carry wands, but she hoped that slowly things would change. Harry was genuinely pleased for her.

People certainly no longer said that Hermione got to where she was due to her association with Harry. They recognised her skill and her ability to think logically and rationally.

All was well and all was busily quiet. Until the spring day when the wizarding communities of Eastern Europe had been struck with fires, leading to most of them to losing their homes.

They did not quite know what caused the fires. Some speculated that it was Dark magic, some said it was due to a magical accident, and few said it was due to natural causes like forest fires. But lots of wizards and witches from Eastern Europe became refugees. Their homes and communities had been so badly devastated that they had no hope of repairing things. Hermione secretly wished that Harry had kept the Elder Wand to be able to fix things with it.

The Eastern European refugees migrated mainly to Britain and France.

Hermione and others, after analysing the facts, took a decisive decision to put in place strict quotas on the refugees coming in, meaning that 90% of the Eastern European refugees would be turned away. Hoards of wizards pouring in would be too much risk to the Statute of Secrecy, she had said. Plus, the infrastructure of Hogsmead would not be able to take it.

After a set of meetings on the refugee emergency situation, Harry went home. Ginny was already asleep. ‘Specific love, specific love,’ Ginny’s words echoed in his head. But Harry thought that love and mercy, by their very nature, was expansive. His mother’s love for him had enabled him to live and then save the world. Albus Severus’ love for Cedric Diggory, someone he didn’t even know, enabled him to end up exposing Delphini, which then put her away to Azakaban. Snape’s love for his mother had continued on to infinity, never stopping specifically.

What was Ginny talking about?

Harry woke up the next day with the British singer Ellie Goulding’s ‘How Long Will I Love You’ song in his head:

‘How long will I love you…  
As long as stars are above you…’

He loved Ginny. There was no question about that. But for how long could they go on? Ginny was a formidable woman. She was a great sports editor for the Daily Prophet. Her job came easily to her and she usually did not have to work more than six hours a day to get done what she needed to get done. Harry, on the other hand, had acquired a certain fondness for wandering the Ministry corridors at night, this time an adult being able to get away with night time wandering.

After an 8pm meeting about the refugee situation, in which most of the Ministry departments had been represented, officials hurriedly milled out of the grandly decorated meeting room. Harry lingered around.

Hermione was not in a hurry to leave either.

Hermione looked up and met Harry’s eyes. Harry then said to her some things he did not get a chance to say at the meeting. He argued with her and bluntly (in a manner of Ron’s bluntness) asked her why she was persecuting the refugees from the Easter European wizarding world.

Hermione’s mouth was agape.

‘I mean,’ Harry began, ‘we fought the Death Eaters and Voldermort. You stood up for house-elf rights. We educated the wizarding community and now it is rare for anyone in our generation to hate Muggle-borns. We’ve done a lot of great things. More than we ever imagined we could when we first set our foot in Hogwarts. And yet …’

‘And yet I’m acting like Hitler?’ Hermione said, having picked up some of Ron’s bluntness.

‘Well … yeah.’

‘Harry, it’s called growing up,’ Hermione said. She was very tired and cranky, not moderating her tone. ‘You should try it some time.’

‘Then how come we can’t say Voldermort was just being “grown up”. The Death Eaters were being “grown up”. When Draco supported his father in Death Eating, he was just being “grown up”.’

‘Harry! It’s a different matter. As I said, the risks are too great. The Statute of Secrecy and Hogsmead –’

‘I know, I know,’ Harry said. ‘It’s just, since when did things have to fall apart? Ron is no longer speaking to me … I just wish things were back to the way they were … We used to be like three musketeers, or Golden Trio, as they called us. I keep a photo album with photos of us from the olden days in my bottom drawer. On some nights, I would take a break and look at it.’

‘It’s alright, Harry,’ Hermione said. ‘I understand.’  
***  
Of course, Harry and Ginny had ended up agreeing that they couldn’t get a divorce. They did not think it would be good for the children. Plus, society expected that the Boy Who Lived should keep a golden reputation and divorce would ruin it. The wizarding society was still quite socially conservative.

So they agreed that they would stay married but Harry could have an affair if he wanted to. Harry protested and said he loved her and he certainly would not have an affair. Ginny said that Harry was a man and it would only be a matter of time. Plus, if Hermione changes her mind and Britain lets in lots of refugees, Harry might fall in love with a beautiful Eastern European witch. Harry laughed. He had missed her sense of humour.

It was good that they could talk like friends again and be on amicable terms. Whatever happened, Ginny would still be the mother of his children.

Harry said grudgingly that Ginny would be welcome to have her affairs. Ginny disagreed and said, ‘I am now a grown up woman with not many interests. I have grown old. What interest would I have in having an affair?’

There it was again. The word ‘grown up’. Grown up, whatever that means. Love, and ‘in love’, whatever ‘in love’ means …

An owl flew into the room and Harry opened a letter from Albus. In the letter Albus said everything was fine. He also spoke about how James had somehow got hold of the Slytherin common room password and pranked the Slytherin common room by filling it up with fake wands from the Wizard Weasley Wheezes that turned into realistic-looking snakes. Slytherin, eh? It just reminded Harry of a particular Slytherin, Snape. Snape had a tragic life but when he died things were clear to him. He knew what love was. Sometimes these days Harry felt like he didn’t. Romantic love and the love between friends, both types of love confused him these days.  
***  
Harry became less confused, however, when Daphne Greengrass, former classmate and Draco’s sister in law, started in the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. Daphne had previously been employed by various fashion companies in the wizarding world. Coming from the wizarding private sector, her new colleagues at the Department for Magical Law Enforcement spoke to her like she was a kid.

Harry, however, had taken a liking to her. She had always been one of those Slytherins in the background, but now he noticed how stunningly pretty she looked. Plus Daphne had a crack set of business skills. Harry soon singled her out to assign her some interesting tasks to do.

As the days wore on, things intensified.

Harry was now having an affair. With Daphne Greengrass.

He was now happier though and he and Ginny argued less. They just lived their separate lives. They were still friends and did not mind still sleeping in the same bed.

But Harry felt a sense of guilt. He never sought fame. He did not pick fame. But fame picked him and he wanted to do fame justice and make it proud. How could he, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the one who defeated Voldermort, have an affair? It was scandalous.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione still politic-ed against each other. They ended up with some sort of compromise, relaxing ever so slightly the quota on refugees from the Eastern European wizarding world, and negotiating with the French and German wizarding communities to persuade them to take more of a share in providing for the refugees.

After another 8pm meeting, on a separate issue, Harry approached Hermione. Hermione saw that he wanted to talk. Harry confided in her. Hermione’s first words were ‘Have you told Draco?’

In Harry’s new-found happiness, he had not even thought about Draco. True, he and Draco had really bonded over the fiasco with Albus and Scorpius and the Time Turner, but they each had their own lives. Draco, despite his dislike of red tape and rules, had recently got a middle management job at the Department of Mysteries. Harry heard that Draco had been involved in the review of which types of magic would be classified as Dark Arts. Apparently thing needed to be clarified, like how horrible did a hex used by bullies at Hogwarts have to be before it would be classified as the Dark Arts? Also, he heard that Draco was very good at this job. But they did not speak to each other directly much, they did work in different Departments after all.

Yet one day Scorpius was caught doing Levicorpus on James as a revenge for the fake-wand-snakes prank. McGonagal took five point from Slytherin, and though she thought she might have seen the spell before, asked him where he learnt the spell from. Scorpius said he learnt it from Albus. And Albus confessed that Harry, wanting to keep the Half Blood Prince’s legacy alive, had taught it to him. McGonagal then remembered what she heard about the review of magic in the Daily Prophet. She informed Draco and Hermione of the use of the unofficial spell.

So Draco went after Harry.

‘Please,’ Harry begged. ‘Please accept the spells Snape invented to be off-the-record spells. The Department of Mysteries does not need to get involved.’

‘I am merely doing my job, Potter,’ Draco said. Harry noted that Draco had used his surname. They were usually on first name terms these days.

‘I thought you had forgiven me for using Sectumsempra on you?’ Harry said.

‘I have,’ Draco said. ‘But I still have a job to do. And after having fallen into the Dark Arts as a kid, I want to make sure that no one makes the same mistake as I do. Thus I need to know about all spells and classify them.’

‘That sure is honourable,’ Harry said. ‘But Draco, you see. The world is not so black and white. I understand that now, after all this time.’

Draco looked down. He blinked. ‘Fine, Harry,’ he finally said. ‘I understand. Snape’s spells can remain uninvestigated by this review. But our discussions must remain off the record. None of this must leave this room, you understand?’

‘Of course,’ Harry said.  
***  
Some days later Harry casually mentioned to Draco that he was seeing Daphne Greengrass.

Draco looked like he was going to spontaneously combust.

‘Are you OK?’ Harry asked kindly.

‘Not only is Daphne your subordinate’s subordinate, she is also my sister in law!’ Draco said.

Harry didn’t see what the problem was.

‘I mean, she is my sister in law, so practically, my sister.’

Harry remembered the times when he had been worried that Ron would be mad at him for liking his sister. ‘I remember being worried that Ron would be mad at me for dating Ginny. Ron was my best friend. He still is. But …’

‘What?’ Draco said spitefully. ‘Our sons our best friends. You saved my life and my mother saved your life. And yet we are just cordial acquaintances? Acquaintance but not friends?’

‘No,’ Harry said. ‘You are my friend, Draco. You know, I thought when Voldermort was killed it would be over, but the world today is still fairly Dark, in multiple ways. In these dark times we should have all the friends we can. You can count on me as a friend, Draco.’

‘And yet my friend is dating my sister in law. Gross,’ Draco said. Draco then swallowed. He looked at the papers all over Harry’s office. He had originally come into Harry’s office because another project he was working on required him to speak to Harry about a few things. As it happens, his and Harry’s Departments had to work together a bit. Draco looked at the wall. ‘OK fine,’ he said. ‘But aren’t you married to Ginny?’

‘I am,’ Harry said flatly. ‘But things have changed.’

‘But you can’t divorce because you have a reputation to keep?’  
***  
Harry felt terrible, keeping his affair with Daphne a secret from his children. Especially Albus. As Albus was the product of the most poetic sort of love. Or at least his name was. The love between Dumbledore and Snape that had enabled them to work together, though Snape had resented Dumbledore for not always telling him everything. The love that Dumbledore had for Harry. The brave sort of love Snape had for Lily …

Harry did not want Albus to think that he did not love Ginny. He did. It was just that the world was full of words and ideas. And his and Ginny’s grown up minds had different ideas and had gone their separate ways. Maybe in the future, their minds would meet again …

But he was not perfect. He had his faults and he felt terrible for hiding them. But every time he saw Daphne’s smile, all of his bad feelings would fly away. Draco had loved Astoria as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. And Daphne always looked spotlessly pretty. Were the Greengrasses part-Veela at all? But it was not just about looks. Harry didn’t think he was a shallow person. It was also how Daphne was bright and cheerful and made him forget anything dark. Hell, she had changed from her Slytherin days at Hogwarts when she had just been another bitch in Pansy Parkinson’s gang.

Dreading his next meeting with Hermione, Harry went to the coffee machine for an uplifting shot of caffeine. He overheard some people from the Goblin Liaison Office talking about the bottom line and complaining about goblins. Such was life. Such was being a grown up.

Harry still loved his old friends, but he was glad that he had made new friends; Draco and Daphne turned out to be quite cool people to hang out with – when he had a few spare moments to hang out during his busy schedule.

Still, Harry would sometimes look at the photo album in his bottom draw, that showed happier times. Youth; when perfect moments would occur when they were young and unable to appreciate them. He looked at a photo of him, Hermione and Ron at Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Harry did not have much time to cry these days but he shed a tear. He shed a SPECIFIC tear for his friends, but then shed many more tears for the refugees, both wizarding ones and Muggle ones. Youth, a time of such blissful tragedy. And adulthood may not be tragic, but it was sad. Tom Riddle had a fun time at Hogwarts. After a long time after all these years, could he now understand why Voldermort did not want to die, could he understand why Voldermort wanted to remain forever young?


End file.
